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Designer and lookalike drugs
What are designer drugs?
 Ecstasy (drug), popular term for an
illegal, mood-altering drug whose
chemical name is 3,4methylenedioxymethamphetamine
(MDMA). Ecstasy is often referred to as a
designer drug.
 Designer drugs are produced in secret,
unregulated laboratories to mimic the
physical effects of common illegal drugs
such as heroin.
 Designer drugs are sold illegally for a
cost that is often far less than the drugs
they are modeled after.
 Chemically related to the stimulants known as
amphetamines, MDMA was first synthesized by a
German pharmaceutical firm in 1912, although it was
never marketed for any medicinal use.
 In the United States from the early 1970s through the
mid-1980s, MDMA was legally used in psychotherapy
and was openly available via mail order.
 When used in therapy, the drug was observed to make
patients feel less anxious and more open to feelings of
understanding and acceptance toward themselves and
others. In 1985 the United States government outlawed
MDMA because it can produce dangerous side effects
and it has a high potential for abuse.
 After MDMA was banned in the United States, drug
dealers began manufacturing it in illegal laboratories
and selling it under the street name ecstasy.
 The drug gained popularity in the late 1980s with the
rise of raves—crowded, all-night dance parties usually
held in secret locations such as warehouses.
 As rave culture spread through Europe, the United
States, and other parts of the world, ecstasy became
the drug of choice for many rave participants.
 In the United States States federal sentences
for ecstasy possession and sale have varied,
but conviction for attempting to sell 200 g (7
oz) or more could result in upward of five years
in prison, with higher prison terms given for
greater quantities of the drug.
 Ecstasy is also illegal in a number of other
nations, including the United Kingdom,
Australia, Israel, and China.
Effects
 Ecstasy is typically available in pill form.
 A user begins to feel the effects of ecstasy about 20
minutes after swallowing a pill. The drug affects the
brain, primarily by causing the release of a
neurotransmitter (chemical that carries signals between
nerve cells) called serotonin.
 The rise in serotonin levels causes many users to
experience changes in mood or mental outlook. Some
users report that the drug triggers a feeling of euphoria
or exhilaration, along with increased compassion and
openness toward others.
Negative side effects:
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anxiety or agitation
Nausea
blurred vision
Sweating
jaw clenching
irregular heartbeat
It can also cause a rise in body temperature, known as
hyperthermia, which becomes particularly hazardous in
the typically hot, crowded rave settings where ecstasy
use is most common.
Most deaths associated with ecstasy are
complications of hyperthermia. One such complication
commonly occurs when overheated users drink too
much water, causing a fluid imbalance known as
hyponatremia, which can be fatal. Each year in the
United States ecstasy causes 30 to 40 deaths.
Other Facts
 It does not cause physical addiction, although
some regular users develop a tolerance to the
positive effects of the drugs and need to take
increasingly frequent doses to re-create the
drug’s effects.
 The drop in serotonin levels after the drug has
worn off causes some users to experience
feelings of depression and other mood
disturbances a few days afterward.
 Scientists debate whether ecstasy causes permanent
damage to nerve cells in the brain. Studies in rats and
other animals document damage to the nerve
structures that produce and process serotonin.
 In humans, some brain scans of frequent ecstasy users
show permanent damage to serotonin pathways.
Furthermore, tests in humans indicate that the drug
may negatively affect memory, learning, and other
mental processes.
 They point out that animal studies may not be directly
applicable to humans.
 They also note that the pills illegally sold on the street
as ecstasy have been manufactured in unregulated
laboratories, and these pills often contain other illegal,
dangerous compounds—including cocaine,
methamphetamine, or paramethoxyamphetamine
(PMA, which also drastically raises body temperature).
Without evaluating the ingredients of each pill taken,
critics say it is difficult to gauge the long-term effects of
ecstasy alone.
Benefits?
 Others hope that additional investigation of
MDMA will reveal that the drug has some
medicinal benefits. They hope the drug might
someday be approved for legitimate use in
psychotherapy.
 Therapists have proposed, for example, that
MDMA—given in low, infrequent doses under
controlled conditions—could be useful in
easing treatment of patients who suffer
persistent depression or anxiety following a
traumatic event, such as a violent crime.
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